A Thief's Revenge: New Beginnings
by Rehema
Summary: This is like a "sequel to my sequel." READ PART 1 FIRST! READ AND REVIEW! This story? Exciting? I hope so! Double the action, more drama, and unexpected twists. Oh, and much more Atem-Mana, Yugi-Tea, and Mahad-Isis. Part 2/Sequel
1. Unexpected Company

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

_Hey, everyone! I'm back with the "sequel to my sequel." I promise to Ra that this one will be much more interesting and exciting! Please don't forget to review! _

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Chapter 1

Unexpected Company

Mana awoke to find her wrists and ankles bound in thick, dark chains of shadow magic. The chains also attached her to a freezing floor of rock, and hanging over her was a ceiling of rough, dark stone. She was in some sort of cave.

Suddenly, Mana became aware of harsh breathing behind her; she twisted around to see the Thief King lying several feet away on the cold, hard ground. He appeared to be sleeping.

Mana sighed, glancing down at herself. Here she was, bound with shadow chains that bolted her to the ground. There was no hope of escape. With another heavy sigh, she settled back down to an uncomfortable sleep.

* * *

"GET UP!" A harsh voice sounded, and the girl's eyes cracked open. She looked up, expecting to see the Thief King's hard eyes glaring back down at her. But they weren't there.

She twisted about some more, trying to find him; Bakura stood farther back in the cave. He appeared to be talking to two moving figures...

_What? _thought Mana. _Who else is here? _

"My humblest apologies, Master," a familiar voice said, followed by an unfamiliar one which added, "I'm sorry, Ba—I mean, Thief King—no, Master!" The second voice was completely foreign to Mana, not to mention the strange accent which accompanied it.

Hearing footsteps, she quickly looked away, but Bakura caught her movement. "Ah, you're awake," he sneered, walking over to her. He lightly touched the glowing black chains around her feet and pulled her up by her arms. Mana merely glared at him throughout this whole process, but when he started to drag her towards the back of the cave, she resisted.

"Where are you taking me!?" cried Mana, trying to pull away, but Bakura held fast.

"There are some friends I'd like you to meet," he said, grinning evilly, as if he was about to burst out laughing any moment.

He dragged the female magician by her arms, with her legs clumsily tottering after her, just barely keeping her from falling.

* * *

An enormous cage came into view. Upon closer inspection, Mana realized that the bars weren't made of metal—they were made of thick, purplish-black bands of shadow energy! But it wasn't the strange cage that stunned her into speechlessness—no, it was the people in the cage.

The Thief King grinned again—"I'll just let you all get acquainted now," said he. With a wave of his hand, more bars slid out of the ceiling, crisscrossing and trapping them in the darkness. The thief smirked at them from the other side, turned on his heel, and left.

Mana gaped at the two men in the cage.

"High Priest Akhenaden!" exclaimed Mana. The elderly man stared back at her, sadness etched in every line of his wrinkled face.

* * *

(FLASHBACK)

(One month after the Pharaoh's arrival in the Afterlife...)

"_My Pharaoh, I wish to step down from my position. I no longer wish to be a guardian." High Priest Akhenaden's words were met with exclamations of outrage and shock from the court; angry and stunned, Mahad started to say something, but this time, it was High Priest Seto who voiced his disapproval first. _

"_Father! Until we are unable to do so, it is our sole duty to serve the Pharaoh! Being guardian of the Pharaoh is not something you can simply walk away from!" _

_Pharaoh Atem nodded to Seto and held up a hand, motioning for him to hold his tongue. Seto fell silent, glaring at the elderly man who now knelt humbly before the King. Atem leaned forward, his eyebrows rising in surprise. Akhenaden was also wearing a cloth patch over one eye which he kept touching lightly. _

_"But Akhenaden," Atem said, "why?" The elderly man looked uncomfortable and guilty, but he quickly shook himself out of it and proceeded to explain. _

_"I feel that I am no longer fit for priesthood," Akhenaden began, "for I have grown old and weak. He hesitated before continuing, as if ashamed of something. "And the Millennium Eye… it no longer responds to my commands." _

_He reached into the depths of his robe and pulled out a small golden sphere; flawlessly carved into it was the Eye of Horus. _

_"Then there is the issue of my punishment for my deeds in life---"_

_Standing up, the Pharaoh cut him off, frowning. _

_"Akhenaden, no. Your betrayal was the result of your link with Zorc and your love for your son. Nothing more. We have discussed this---your sentence in the Shadows was served, hence your being allowed in the Afterlife! Everything has been forgiven!"_

_Suddenly, the Pharaoh stopped. There was something else... the massacre of Kul Elna... what of that? _

_Akhenaden shook his head vehemently. "My apologies, my King, but I am not fit for priesthood. It is the undeniable truth!"_

_After much arguing and pleading, Akhenaden was escorted out of the Palace. The Pharaoh offered to see him off to his destination, but he declined. _

_After that, no one ever knew for sure what had become of him. _

(END FLASHBACK)

* * *

Staring at the gaunt face of the elderly man before her, Mana understood everything. "You left months ago. He… threatened you too, didn't he, Master Akhenaden?" she whispered, leaning closer.

The man nodded. "Yes," he replied, in a much softer tone than the one he normally used to use on her, "he did. He left me with no choice."

The man glared in the direction of the cave's entrance. "He has once again been swallowed by darkness. My Millennium Eye only increases his shadow power."

Mana started at this new bit of information. "You gave him the Millennium Eye? But then, where is it?" Only now did she notice the empty eye socket, the one in which the Millennium Eye used to reside.

Sighing heavily, the ex-High Priest confessed, "I don't know. I lied about the Eye's refusal to obey me; it was part of my excuse to leave to find that thief. When I found our meeting place, he fought and defeated me. He took it from me that day, and I haven't seen it since. But wherever it is, he has harnessed its powers."

Mana recalled the elaborate illusions designed by the Thief King: the Prince, the Kingdom, and the illusion of the two-day journey which only took one day to complete. She had to agree—his power over the shadows had increased. He was even more dangerous now than he had been in life...

* * *

Mana then turned her attentions to the quiet stranger. He sat in a corner of the cage, staring off into space. He looked so similar to the Thief King that he could have passed for his twin brother! However, as she examined him closely, she noticed that his features were softer, his brown eyes were warmer, and his manner was more timid.

Feeling her eyes on him, the pale-skinned boy turned to meet her gaze. He smiled at her sadly, and Mana felt a rush of sympathy for the stranger. Whoever this boy was, he clearly didn't want to be here, and he clearly didn't deserve to be here.

The smile faded away, and he lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "This is my fault. Other people are getting hurt... 'cause of… me." He looked off to the side, shamefaced.

His obvious and genuine guilt and fear caused Mana's heart to ache with sadness. She wanted to reach through the bars and hug the stranger, comfort him, let the poor boy know that everything was going to be all right.

"Please don't blame yourself. What could you have done? And who… who are you?" Mana asked; she reached awkwardly through the bars and gave his hands a reassuring squeeze.

"His… lighter side. I'm… Ryou Bakura."

_Oh. They're like Yugi and the Pharaoh… and they have the same names too,_ thought Mana, her eyes widening slightly. She smiled and said as cheerfully as she could, "Well, hello, Ryou Bakura. It's nice to meet you."

A small smile crossed Ryou's face as he nodded to her. "And you are…?"

"Mana. I'm Mahad's apprentice… but I'm almost done with my training! Just… not yet." Ryou smiled, although confused by her babbling; Mana grinned sheepishly.

"I'm glad to see we're all getting along," a cold voice sneered. The expression on Ryou Bakura's face was one of sheer terror as he looked up to behold his Yami side.

"Well, Hikari," the Thief King said, "I'm glad to see that you've made a new friend."

He nodded to Mana, who scrambled to her feet, her muscles tense. Bakura pointed to her feet, and the shadow chains once again wrapped themselves around her ankles.

With a cry of shock and anger, the magician girl fell to the floor. The Thief King bent down and lifted her up as easily as if she was a sack of potatoes. Mana grumbled with indignation at this treatment.

* * *

"Oh no…" Akhenaden breathed, as he watched the thief carry the magician girl towards the entrance of the cave.

"What's going to happen to her?" asked a worried Ryou. A look of fear crossed the old man's face.

"The true power of just one Millennium Item is very dangerous," he murmured, "and he has learned to harness the power of the Eye. But if he needs Mana…" The ex-High Priest closed his eyes. "… We are all doomed once he performs the ceremony."

"What ceremony?!" asked Ryou Bakura frantically, leaning towards the old man. The High Priest opened his eyes and looked at the youth with a frown.

"A sacrificial one... Millennium Soul of Magic ceremony."

* * *

"Where are you taking me!?" snapped Mana angrily.

She groaned as the thief walked out into the bright sunlight. As he turned to climb down from the ledge of rock that led into the cave, Mana glimpsed the charred remains of large structures.

She saw piles of wreckage and shattered rock. She was looking down, once again, on the ruins of Kul Elna.

The Thief King landed on the sandy dirt with an agile leap; he strode away from the scene of wreckage to another cliff face.

* * *

Suddenly, they were falling! Mana screamed in shock as the Thief King slid down a large column into an underground chamber.

He landed smoothly on the stone floor and tossed Mana unceremoniously to the ground.

He looked down at her, a wicked sneer crossing his face again. "This place should be quite familiar."

And it was, Mana realized as she took in her surroundings. The Pharaoh, the High Priests/Priestess, and she had battled the Thief King in this very chamber during their lives.

"Why am I here?" Glaring at Bakura, the young woman struggled to sit up. He strode over to her; with a snap of his fingers, the bonds on her ankles were gone. However, he held on to her arm tightly to keep her from running.

Mana shot the thief another cold glare before looking around again; this time, she noticed something new. A slender, golden altar gleamed in the middle of the room. Strange symbols were engraved on its sides. Bakura steered her firmly towards it.

She looked at it carefully— it was hollowed out, and a silvery mist swirled around inside it.

"What is this?" asked Mana, momentarily forgetting her situation. She turned questioningly towards the thief, but he merely smirked at her.

"The reason you're here," he whispered menacingly, and Mana looked at him in a mixture of bewilderment and horror.

"What…?" Mana looked at the altar again, and this time, she was able to make out something engraved on inside of its base. It was the Eye of Horus.

"Two nights from now," the Thief King announced, "there will be an eclipse of the moon. During that eclipse," he grinned, "I will perform the Millennium Soul of Magic ceremony."

"Soul of Magic…?"

Suddenly, realization dawned on Mana, and her heart sank. She recalled his words during the confrontation in the "throne room": _Your little girl is powerfully magical. I needed her for my own reasons._

"What do you want from me?" Mana's voice sounded hoarse.

"Your magic."

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_Reviews please! (Falls to knees) For the love of all Atem X Mana stories, please review!_


	2. Tear of a Thief

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

_All right, I've got something to say to a few people!_

**Asiera: **_(Grins) I didn't tell you this in response to your review, but I've actually been planning something for the Thief King for a little while now. I just thought I'd surprise you instead. (Becomes serious) But make sure that the Thief King NEVER reads this chapter. _

**Millenniumthief: **_(Winks and gives a "thumbs up") Thanks!_

**To Everyone: **_I've made a few minor changes to the flashback in Chapter 1, so you might want to check on that. _

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Chapter 2

Tear of a Thief

Mana shivered on the cold floor of the cave, her knees drawn to her chest. She glared miserably at the shadow bonds around her wrists and ankles.

The day after the next would be the day when Bakura would drain all of her magic out of her. What had he said he was going to do with it?

Oh, yes—he was going to combine her magical soul with the power of the Millennium Eye. The female magician shuddered at the thought of such formidable power in the thief's hands.

What else had he said? Yes, of course—he was going to fulfill his original purpose.

He was going to destroy the kingdom. The King of Thieves was going to destroy the whole kingdom!

Mana sniffed, and a tear rolled down her cheek. _Some magician I am_, she thought miserably. _He's going to use me and my own magic to destroy the Pharaoh, Master Mahad, and my friends. I've let them down. _

Tears began to fall fluently down her face as she whispered into the blackness, "I've let them all down."

* * *

Mana looked up through her tears at the cage which held the two captives. Akhunadin was sleeping in one corner, his face contorted in discomfort.

She scanned the cage for the other boy, Ryou, and found him curled up in the corner closest to her. He wasn't sleeping—on the contrary, his dark brown eyes were wide open and full of worry.

Mana sighed and turned over, away from the cage. The Thief King had conjured up the shadow bars which once again trapped her and the caged captives on one side of the cavern. He lay sleeping on the other side, his harsh breathing echoing off of the rough, rocky walls.

* * *

The young magician girl was about to drift off to sleep when a low moan echoed throughout the cave.

Mana bolted upright; she looked worriedly at Ryou, who merely stared back at her. He looked just as alarmed and bewildered as she was! Clearly, the sound had not come from him.

Mana inched closer to the cage to check on Akhunadin. The ex-High Priest was still sleeping. Another moan sounded, but Akhunadin's lips hadn't moved!

Mana squinted at their surroundings, trying to find another person, maybe another hostage, who could have made the sound.

Finally, she turned towards the King of Thieves. He was the only other person in the cave besides the three of them, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out why he would moan!

Slowly and quietly, Mana began to slide towards Bakura. She was at least six inches away from the shadow bars that separated him from the rest of them when he turned over.

Mana froze, terror and dread pulsing through her, when she realized with relief that his eyes were still closed.

* * *

Sure enough, the Thief King's lips parted as another low moan sounded. He sounded like he was in pain, but there was no gash, no blood, no visible injury, not as far as the young woman could see.

Mana stared at him, puzzled; she was just about to crawl away to go back to sleep when a voice whispered, "No."

She whipped around, but he was still asleep. Mana looked at Ryou, who stared back at her, his eyes wide in surprise. She gave him a questioning look; he shook his head and nodded at the Thief King.

Mana stared at the Thief King, her curiosity getting the better of her. Forgetting her anger and dislike towards the man, she slid back towards him. What could cause him to behave like this? Moan? Talk in his sleep? Her brow furrowed—she wanted so badly to know the answers.

Mana thought for a moment—"Aha," she whispered to herself, remembering a spell Mahad had once taught her.

The spell to see into people's minds, know their thoughts and memories—it was one of the more advanced spells. Mana was delighted when Mahad decided to teach her this particular piece of magic. Here was a perfect opportunity to test it. All she needed was—

"— my wand." Mana felt deflated, remembering her lack of magical tools. She glared at the Thief King's sleeping form, fury overcoming her curiosity.

* * *

Bakura shifted, and one arm fell limply onto the cold, rocky floor. Unseen by Mana, his hand slipped through the shadow bars.

The disappointed young woman started to crawl away when her hand brushed Bakura's.

* * *

SUDDENLY, hundreds of scenes played through Mana's mind. Thoughts, memories, none of which were her own, flashed before her eyes! She didn't know why, or how, this was happening—all she could feel was terror, rage, sadness, and confusion.

* * *

(SNATCHES OF SCENES)

"_NO!" _

_"Bakura, go! NOW! SAVE YOURSELF!" A white-haired woman's small hands pushed a young boy out of the back door of a modest mud and stone house. _

_Enormous columns of smoke spiraled towards the sky, and giant, hungry flames devoured houses and market stands as a terrified and confused Bakura ran through the burning streets of his home, running blindly from an unknown enemy, searching desperately for another familiar, friendly face. _

_Everywhere he looked, he saw people running. Husbands shouted to their wives, wives shouted to their children, sisters called to their brothers, and brothers called back to their sisters. Suddenly, he saw them._

_Strange, uniformed men wielding spears and flaming torches were stampeding through the chaotic streets, shouting fiercely to each other. _

_The men, women, and children of Kul Elna ran wildly about, some yelling in anger, some screaming in terror, some crying out of misery. However, many had already been captured. It was only a matter of time before... before..._

_Bakura looked up and yelled out in shock—he jumped out of the way as a burning wall crashed down on the place where he had been standing seconds ago! He continued to glance wildly about, searching for a familiar face. _

"_NO!" He cried out as he came upon a familiar house--his own. He had come full circle. The structure looked like it was on the verge of collapsing into itself. "NO! NO! NO! MOTHER! FATHER!" No reply was heard. _

_Bakura was about to turn away and keep running when the sound of a shriek reached his ears. Hearing more screams, he scrambled desperately up the front steps. _

_Before he could reach the doorway, the burning wood began to snap. The sound of splintering wood grew louder and louder until the house collapsed! A huge roar accompanied a waterfall of burning wood which cascaded down towards Bakura! _

_His eyes widened in terror, and he threw himself out of the way, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the downpour of flaming timber. _

_Bakura's breathing became shallower and his dark eyes widened as he surveyed the wreckage. Shadowy figures writhed, twisted, and fought on the other side of what was once a house. _

_"THERE'S ANOTHER!" _

_Bakura's head snapped up in alarm, and he hurriedly pushed himself to his feet as six uniformed men rushed toward him, their eyes blank and merciless. _

_The little boy tore madly through the blighted streets and threw himself behind the remains of a giant stone wall. A few minutes later, he peeped out, his heart pounding. _

_What he saw made his blood run cold. _

_The people of the village, looking quite scared and miserable, were being herded away by the uniformed men. Bakura's eyes widened even more, and his mouth opened in a silent scream. He gripped the wall tightly before sliding to his knees again. _

"_No... DON'T LEAVE! NOOO! Come back! Come back!" Tears streamed down the boy's face as he smashed his fist into the ground. _

_Bakura edged towards the side of the wall and peeked out again._

"_Come back…" he whispered._

(END SCENE)

* * *

A sharp gasp escaped Mana's lips as she tore her hand away. It was a few seconds before she realized that she was crying too. She brushed the tears away, but more tears came streaming down to replace them.

She looked down at the Thief King. A confusing array of emotions swirled around inside of her; however, hatred, dislike, and anger were not among them.

* * *

Mana shivered—what was she thinking? This was the man who had fought against her Pharaoh and the High Priests/Priestess during her lifetime, the man who was responsible for her and the Pharaoh losing Mahad, the man who had brought back Zorc the Dark One, the man who had tried to steal the Millennium Items to…

To what? Why had he done all those things? Bakura had wanted to defeat her Pharaoh and destroy the kingdom in return for the destruction of his village. He had made it quite clear that he wanted revenge, but still…

She had never really understood.

Mana had never given much thought to his story before. To her, he was just a psychotic, vengeful thief who had wanted to spread darkness throughout the world. He was the enemy; he was just another evil human being who wanted revenge, who wanted everyone she cared about to suffer… wasn't he?

_Suffering._

The word rang through Mana's mind as clearly as if someone had spoken it. She closed her eyes and recalled her vision; it replayed itself in her mind with surprising clarity. Mana opened her eyes, shuddering at the memory.

He, Bakura, the King of Thieves, had suffered. He knew pain, he knew misery… he knew it all.

That which she had seen was just one piece of his experience. But it was enough to understand why he had done what he did.

He, too, had once been an innocent young boy with his own life. Bakura had simply been cursed with a fate he didn't deserve.

Mana gazed down at the snowy-haired thief with new eyes and new understanding. Try as she might, she just couldn't bring herself to be angry with him, to hate him.

The Thief King's face was contorted in pain, rage—Mana sighed sadly. He, unlike her, was still trapped in his nightmare. Suddenly, something about his face caught her attention. She leaned down to get a better look.

A single tear rolled down his cheek and fell onto the cave floor.

* * *

A lump formed in Mana's throat and she quickly looked away. She caught Ryou staring meaningfully at her. He nodded for her to come closer.

The young magician crawled awkwardly back towards the boy in the cage. To her surprise, he was crying as well. He smiled sadly at her.

"You knew… you knew about… him?" Mana asked him breathlessly. Ryou nodded. "Yes."

"He's suffered a lot," Ryou said, looking sadly at his Yami side.

"Did you see… what I just saw?"

"Yes," Ryou said, and a pained expression crossed his face. "We have a mind connection. I saw everything." He sighed sadly, and then looked down at her.

"I wish all this would stop. This revenge, this fight, all of it…"

Mana glanced back at the Thief King and sighed again. "I do too…"

_

* * *

_

I got a bit teary-eyed writing this too. Justice has to be done to the King of Thieves, you know.

_Ya didn't think I'd forget this part of the story, did ya? (Cough cough _**Asiera**_ Cough cough)_


	3. Mourning and Eclipse

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

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**Chapter 3**

Mourning and Eclipse

"Today's the day."

Mana opened her eyes; the Thief King's cold eyes met her own. He was clearly in a vicious mood.

Cold anger and fear gripped Mana as she gazed back up at Bakura defiantly, as if daring him to force her into anything. However, the memory of his nightmare the day before flooded into her mind, causing her to look away.

Suddenly, she realized something was wrong. "I-I thought the eclipse was—"

"—tomorrow?" The Thief King narrowed his eyes and a slight hiss escaped his lips, but he continued.

"I seem to have miscalculated the day of the eclipse. The ceremony will be performed today. And Hikari—"

Ryou sat up, alert and attentive. However, the fear was apparent in his eyes as the Thief King opened the shadow cage and released him. "Y-yes?"

"Keep an eye on her… and _him_." The Thief King's hatred was apparent as he shot a vicious and venomous glare towards Akhenaden, who cringed slightly. "I have to make preparations."

"And boy," the Thief King laughed mirthlessly, while Ryou stiffened, "don't even try to pull anything on me by blocking your thoughts. I can easily break through your weak walls now."

* * *

"How come he trusts you?" hissed Mana, as soon as the Thief King was out of earshot.

"He really can break through my defenses if I try to block my thoughts, so he'll find out if you get free. Besides, I'm pretty much trapped here. He knows I don't have a choice. Where could I go?"

Mana started, remembering something she had wanted to ask him. "Ryou," she said, and he looked down at her curiously, "how did you get here?"

* * *

The snowy-haired boy sat down next to the bound magician. Mana turned towards him and was shocked to see that he was crying! His head hung forward toward his raised knees, and his hair covered his face, but his shaking shoulders and the wet ground gave him away.

"Ryou," Mana said softly, "what's wrong?" She didn't want to see the poor boy so sad.

"My heart," the boy choked out. "Since he needed my body, he shared my heart. That's why I'm here too."

_The Weighing of the Hearts. _

Mana gasped; that was how the Thief King had followed them to the Afterlife—by using Ryou Bakura's heart!

"He—he used _your_ heart?" whispered a wide-eyed Mana.

Ryou nodded mutely. Mana attempted to give him a hug, but gave up, causing him to laugh slightly. She settled for just giving his hands a comforting pat.

There was a momentary silence. Ryou was the first to break it by saying, "He's in an especially bad mood today."

Mana looked at him curiously. "Why today?"

"It's the day… the day his village was… destroyed."

"Oh." The mood became somber once more as both of them remembered the thief's nightmare with a mixture of sadness and sympathy.

Mana's heart sank, remembering what else today would be. She had momentarily forgotten that it was the day of the eclipse—the day of the Millennium Soul of Magic ceremony. How strange that the two dates should coincide.

Suddenly, a cry of rage met their ears! Ryou scrambled to his feet; Mana tried to stand, but she simply crashed down on the ground again. Ryou pulled her to her feet, and with his help, Mana hopped to the front of the cave.

* * *

"I was wondering why he didn't shut us in here with shadow bars," said Ryou. This time, the Thief King had barred the mouth of the cave instead of the middle. "He's always very careful."

They both peered curiously through the bars into the valley below.

* * *

A figure clothed in red was visible—the Thief King. He appeared to be kneeling on the sand and dirt in front of a pile of scorched and rotting wreckage. With a shudder, Mana realized how familiar the scene was.

Suddenly, another cry of rage was heard! Ryou and Mana leaned over the edge of the cave; they realized the cries were coming from the Thief King!

"What… is he doing?" Mana breathed.

Ryou's expression changed from perplexed to pained as he drew back.

"I can hear what he's thinking," he said quietly. Mana looked up at him. "What's he doing?"

"He's thinking about the deaths of his… people. He's thinking about avenging his people and his village."

Pain grasped Mana's heart as she watched the Thief King pull out his dagger and stab the ground with it, roaring in anger as he did so.

He leaned forward and pressed it hard into the ground, his shoulders shaking. Mana's eyes widened and she leaned forward while Ryou looked away, his face twisting in pain.

The thief's rage was indescribable.

* * *

Mana flung herself back into the cave; her heart was pounding, and her eyes were as wide as dinner plates! She glanced up at Ryou, only to find him staring determinedly away from his Yami side.

"Let's go before he sees us." With that, Ryou stood up and helped Mana back into place.

* * *

Akhenaden stared at them mutely as they passed; Ryou gave the man a brief, but cold, glare. Mana was surprised—the boy seemed so nice, and such an expression did not suit him at all!

"What was that about?" she whispered, glancing anxiously at Akhenaden. Ryou sighed and sat down beside her again.

"My Yami side hates him," the white-haired teenager explained, "'cause he's the one who ordered the destruction of his village."

"Oh… I remember now." Mana nodded; she looked towards the ex-High Priest, and her eyes narrowed.

Sensing that she was talking about him, Akhenaden looked up. He met her cool gaze with defensive, angry eyes.

"It was necessary," said Akhenaden. "Egypt was under grave threat. We were under attack from many of our enemies! Something needed to be done, or the kingdom would have crumbled!"

Mana and Ryou listened silently; Ryou's cold glare had softened slightly, but his expression was still hard. Finally, Mana asked, "What really happened?"

Akhenaden continued. "We desperately needed something powerful to save ourselves. Something so powerful that none of our enemies would dare to threaten us again."

Here, he paused and sighed. "I found a ritual which created the Millennium Items. And with the Items, we were able to save the country and revive the kingdom."

He sighed again, this time, sadly. "But this ritual required sacrifice. Human sacrifice."

Mana gasped, her eyes wide with horror. Ryou's jaw tightened, and his glare became downright hostile.

"I needed souls to sacrifice to forge the Millennium Items."

"So you had the people of my Yami's village killed," stated the snowy-haired teenager, his voice uncharacteristically flat and icy.

Akhenaden returned Ryou's glare. "It was done to save Egypt! It was for the good of the kingdom!" he snarled defensively.

"And so you slaughtered innocent men, women, and children," Ryou continued, his normally warm brown eyes turning colder with each word.

"Innocent? It was a village of thieves and murderers! A village populated by criminals!" hissed the elderly man.

"But how could the Pharaoh's father have allowed this?" asked Mana, stunned.

Akhenaden now looked uncomfortable and guilty. "He—I never told my brother."

A shocked silence followed this last statement.

* * *

Day passed into night. With Ryou keeping a silent vigil over them, Mana and Akhenaden sat quietly, immersed in their own thoughts, when a harsh voice rang out.

"It's time!"

An unpleasant shock ran through Mana's body; she had been dreading this time. The Thief King emerged from the darkness, holding a torch. He strode purposefully over to her, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her roughly to her feet.

Although she knew it was futile, Mana couldn't help but resist. She tried desperately to pull away from him; finally, as a last resort, she began to kick and lash out!

Bakura roared in frustration and finally lifted her off her feet; clutching her tightly, he made his way back to the front of the cave.

Akhenaden and Ryou watched them go, their hopes shrinking with each step the thief took.

* * *

"Oof!"

The Thief King pushed Mana roughly to her knees before the golden altar in the underground chamber.

The young magician glared viciously at the thief; as she looked up, she noticed that a hole had been carved into the ceiling directly above the altar, allowing the moonlight to reach it.

Through the hole, she caught a glimpse of the full moon—only now, it shone copper instead of its usual pearly-white.

A pained grunt drew Mana's attention away from the lunar eclipse. Bakura held his hand up to his eye---the space around his face warped oddly... and the Millennium Eye was revealed! His normal eye had been an illusion...

Oddly enough, the floor beneath the altar began to warp strangely as well! Within seconds, a strange _stone slab_ emerged from the ground. The hieroglyphs engraved on its smooth surface glowed a brilliant white, and the niche for the Millennium Eye was filled with a lovely golden light. The altar was growing out of the Stone like an extremely strange, misshaped flower.

Mana's breath caught in her throat. Bakura looked at her and grinned wickedly. "The Millennium Stone. Destroyed, was it?"

Mana's body went cold as a soft, coppery glow emanated from the altar.

Bakura held the Millennium Eye over it and opened his hand.

Mana winced slightly, expecting the ball to crash to the bottom.

It didn't. Instead, the Eye remained in place, hovering in the air, basking in the moon and altar's shared glow!

The hieroglyphs on one of the seven sides of the altar began to glitter! Bakura smiled with satisfaction; he then turned his gaze on Mana, who began to scramble away.

He chuckled in amusement and walked swiftly over to her; pulling her up by her arms again, he forced her over to the altar.

Bakura held the young magician girl up to the altar's edge; she could see that the Eye of Horus, the one engraved on the bottom of the structure, was shimmering with a golden light!

Mana tore her eyes away from this sight as Bakura forced out her hands. After removing the shadow bonds, he held both of her hands tightly with his right and pulled out his dagger with his left.

Mana's eyes widened with terror and she began to struggle violently! Bakura growled angrily and gripped her hands even more tightly.

He slipped his dagger away and forced open her hands. He then pulled out the knife again and brought it towards her shaking palms!

Mana screamed as the Thief King made two swift cuts, one in each hand! He then wrapped her bloody hands around the Millennium Eye and pressed them in with his own, allowing the red liquid to drip into the hollowed altar!

Both the golden ball and the Eye of Horus began to glow with a searing white light; Bakura grinned with delight.

"Only a little longer, my dear," he whispered to a horrified Mana, who averted her eyes. She instead looked down at the hieroglyphs engraved on each of the seven sides of the altar; the carvings which glittered gold on one of the sides began to shimmer in a delicate shade of violet.

"As soon as the last one changes, it will be over. And your power will be mine."

Tears fell from Mana's eyes as she felt herself growing weaker and weaker; _I'm sorry, Pharaoh, Master Mahad,_ she thought bitterly, _I've failed you._

_

* * *

_

What's that? You think this story's nearing the end? Uh-uh, not happening just yet. Reviews please? PLEASE? In the names of Isis and Osiris, please review!

_I'm not joking. Please do review. Or if not now, at least at the end of the story. _

_Again, please join the Atem & Mana forum if you can! _

**Rare Pairings- Topic: "Oh My God, How Can This Pairing Be Overlooked?"**

_There's a new community out there! "Rare, But True," dedicated to Atem(u) and Mana. Please help support us in our Vaseshipping quest! Anyone interested in joining should PM the manager, _**Asiera**.


	4. Defiance

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

_I've gone back and edited chapters--the Millennium Stone is now present in the previous chapter. Yes, I know the Millennium Stone was destroyed at the end of the series... wasn't it? Right? _

_I know that the Millennium Eye allows the user to seal others' souls and see into their minds, but the illusion thing is just something that I tossed in. I'm using the ideas of the Millennium Items being full of dark magic and Bakura having power over the shadows because of his affiliation with the Shadow Realm and Millennium Items to create illusions._

_Sorry about any canon mistakes I've made so far. Please alert me to any you've detected... even though I probably won't be able to do anything about it. _

_Onward!_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Defiance

"DARK MAGIC ATTACK!"

Dirt, debris, and shattered rock flew everywhere in a thunderous explosion as a ball of blackish-violet energy blasted its way through the ceiling, followed by an enraged Dark Magician and the Pharaoh!

* * *

Bakura and Mana were thrown off their feet! However, Bakura still gripped Mana's wrists tightly, pulling her along with him—his face was twisted in a terrifying grimace of pain and hatred.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" roared Atem as Mahad swung his staff in preparation for another attack.

Another blast of magic sent Bakura and Mana flying in opposite directions—Mana crashed against the wall and lay still.

"My King, take Mana! I will take care of the thief!"

"NO, Mahad, I—"

"GO!"

Knowing that it was of no use to argue, Atem sprinted over to his unconscious friend and scooped her up in his arms. Dodging more flying debris, he pulled her over to the opening in the ceiling.

Pharaoh Atem gritted his teeth. How to get her out? Sliding down a stone column into the chamber was one thing, but climbing back up with Mana in his arms—

"My King, we'll take her!"

Several of the soldiers who had accompanied them on their journey appeared overhead—a rope was thrown down, and several men descended. Atem exhaled sharply, relief momentarily filling him as he handed the young woman over to the leader of the troop.

"Take her back to the camp," whispered Atem urgently to the men.

They obeyed without hesitation; Mana's limp form rose with the soldiers as they climbed back to the surface.

* * *

The Thief King's cry of fury was audible even from this distance. The soldiers unconsciously urged their horses forward into a faster gallop. A few men even glanced anxiously over their shoulders.

An explosion was heard.

* * *

Tea watched the horizon worriedly. Yugi walked out of the tent to stand beside her. The two frowned at the distant sand dunes, each occupied with his/her own thoughts.

Finally, Yugi spoke.

"Tea, worrying about them isn't going to do any good."

Tea smiled humorlessly and turned to face him. "Yeah, but I can't help it. Remember the last time they fought the Thief King?"

They both shuddered, remembering the havoc, mayhem, and destruction caused by the thief in the Memory World.

Yugi sighed and glared out at the desert again. "I wish the Pharaoh had let us come along with him."

Tea frowned again. "I do too. But you know how he is—"she scowled and folded her arms, "—he doesn't want us in any danger. No matter what the price is for him."

Suddenly, Yugi squinted out at the horizon. Noticing this, Tea followed his line of sight until she found just what had caught his attention.

Dust clouds swirled in the distance, and the sound of pounding hooves could be heard.

* * *

Relief flooded both of them as they realized it must be the Pharaoh, Mahad, and the soldiers returning with Mana.

Joey and Tristan emerged from the tent. "They back already?" Joey asked, surprised.

Tristan's brow creased as he stared at the approaching line of men and horses. "Yeah, I thought it'd take much longer than that since it's the Thief King."

Suddenly, Yugi frowned and looked at the ground. "It's not over. Mahad and… Atem aren't there with them."

Tea carefully scrutinized the men before them and sighed. "He's right. They're not there."

* * *

Several minutes later, the gang was gathered around Mana's unconscious form inside the tent. Two soldiers stood guard outside the opening.

_Take care of her._

Those were their instructions. Tea was busy administering to Mana's bleeding hands.

Finally, she straightened up. "Done."

"D'you think she'll be all right?" Tristan asked, worried.

"Yeah, she looks… kinda…" Joey trailed off uncomfortably.

Smiling gently, Yugi replied, "Don't worry, guys. Remember, we're in the Spirit World. They can't die."

Joey grinned sheepishly. "Oh, yeah."

"What… happened…?" Mana's faint voice starled them all, causing them to jump.

"Mana!" Tea exclaimed, kneeling down beside her. "How do you feel?"

"Tired… sore… ouch." Mana gingerly placed her hands on the ground and made to push herself up.

"Hey, wait a minute, you need to rest!" Yugi exclaimed, attempting to push her back down.

"Pharaoh… Mahad… Where are they?" Mana's sleepy eyes began to widen as she took in her surroundings. She brushed off Yugi's hand and sat straight up, her green eyes fully open and full of concern and grief.

She repeated herself, more urgently—"Where are they!?"

Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tea exchanged worried glances. "Well—" Tea began, but Mana had seen enough.

"I'm going after them." Despite the gang's protests, she pushed herself to her feet. The young woman wobbled slightly and began to fall, but Joey and Tristan quickly caught and steadied her.

Tea was the first to speak. "You can't! Mana, you can't even walk! You'll be…"

She trailed off, unsure of how to continue. Yugi shook his head slightly and said —"You won't be able to help them like this."

"I… can't let them… do this alone." She sounded hoarse, but determined. "I'm going. The Pharaoh and Mahad are more than just my king and teacher. They're my friends, and I'm not leaving them!"

She pulled herself out of Joey and Tristan's grip, her voice growing stronger with each word, and she glared stubbornly at the gang. The orb at the tip of her staff glowed slightly, and she stood up a little straighter.

Frowning worriedly, Yugi finally spoke. "The Pharaoh's our friend too, Mana, but he wouldn't want you to go after him and Mahad. He made us stay back, and we wanted to go with him!"

Mana shook her head and glanced at the tent flaps; the guards' shapes were visible. A determined scowl spread across her face. "I've got to go. No matter what."

Before anyone could stop her, she darted towards the entrance.

There was a brief scuffle, yells, and then silence. Tea, Yugi, Joey, and Tristan cautiously peeked out of the tent.

The guards stood… _frozen_. The four teenagers looked at each other, then at the frozen guards, and then at the figure of a young woman standing among the horses…

* * *

"Hey, wait!"

Mana glanced over her shoulder to see Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tea hurrying towards her. Yugi stopped and looked up at her.

"We're coming too!"

Mana almost agreed. Suddenly, she shook her head.

Protests filled the air and the four teenagers stared fiercely back at her. "You're going!" Tristan exclaimed indignantly.

Joey scowled. "Before you showed up, we tried ta get past the guards the Pharaoh set on us!"

He and Tristan rubbed their arms—bruises were already beginning to show. "That didn't work out too well."

"No matter what," Tea said, "we're all in this together."

Mana looked at them, a strange expression forming on her face. "I can't—"

She looked away, pondering her next move. They couldn't come—what could they do? She had her magic and the Dark Magician Girl—but what about them? They were powerless teenagers in the Spirit World—she couldn't allow her new friends to be put in danger by the—

Suddenly Joey made a mad dash for the nearest waiting horse—the creature snorted and tossed its head, taking a few steps back.

Tea darted forward and grabbed the reins, speaking softly but firmly and stroking the horse gently to calm him. Carefully, she stepped forward and pulled herself onto its back. The mare tossed her head but otherwise remained fairly calm.

Tea guided the horse towards Mana. Surprised, the young magician girl asked, "What are you doing?"

"Coming with you," Tea replied simply.

Yugi appeared on Mana's left side, already seated on another horse, with Joey seated behind him. Tristan climbed up behind Tea, and the mare shifted slightly. His eyes widened, and he quickly grabbed Tea, who rolled her eyes and elbowed him sharply.

"Tristan!"

"Ow!"

"No matter what," Yugi said, and Mana bit her lip.

The Pharaoh wouldn't want his friends endangered, and neither did she. It looked like she would have to use her last resort—her grip on her staff tightened and she raised her arm, shaking her head slowly.

"I can't let you—I'm sorry about this, but—"

Realizing what she was about to do, Tea and Yugi quickly urged the horses forward, leaving the young magician in the dust!

* * *

"HEY!" Mana's mouth fell open in shock, and she urged her own steed into a powerful gallop. "Come back here!"

Mana leaned forward and urged her horse to move faster—"Come on, I've got to catch up!"

* * *

Within seconds, she had taken the lead. Sighing, Mana decided that freezing and returning the gang to the camp would be too much trouble at this point.

Biting her lip, Mana prayed that Atem and Mahad were all right…

_Oh, I hope I'm not too late…_

* * *

The air was thick with dust and dirt. Mahad, the Pharaoh, and the Thief King had moved their battle to the surface.

The Dark Magician lay sprawled across the rocks at the bottom of the cliff face.

Pharaoh Atem was shaking on all fours—even the powerful Slifer the Sky Dragon hadn't been able to defeat the Thief King's Diabound. Apparently, Bakura's beastly Ka still retained the powers it had absorbed from the monsters it had defeated during their war in life.

A large shadow loomed over Mahad and Atem, and they glared up at Bakura. Suddenly, the thief's hand shot out and grabbed a handful of Atem's clothes, and he pulled the King of Egypt up by the collar to face him. Mahad roared in outrage, but Bakura merely laughed harshly.

"Now," he hissed, his eyes flashing, "you will be sealed in the darkness. Forever."

* * *

_(Grimaces) I've been so neglectful to this story. With all the time off I had, I could easily have released two or three chapters. Instead, here I am presenting one. _

_Reviews please! _


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